Marilyn Gayle Hoff (born 1942), also known as Marilyn Gayle, is an American author, songwriter, teacher, and activist. Her writing includes the novels ''Dink's Blues'', ''Rose'', and ''Free Ride'', as well as the co-authored book ''Bring Out Your Own Book: Low Cost Self-Publishing''.

Biography

Hoff was born in 1942 in

Iowa Falls, Iowa Iowa Falls is a city in Hardin County, Iowa, United States. Iowa Falls is the home of Ellsworth Community College. It is also a regional transportation center, located along U.S. Routes 20 and 65 and the Canadian National and Union Pacific Rail ...

. She completed her B.A. from

Macalester College Macalester College () is a private liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1874, Macalester is exclusively an undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 2,174 students in the fall of 2018 from 50 U.S. states, four U.S te ...

in 1964, and an M.A. from

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

in 1968.

Career

Hoff published her first novel, ''Dink's Blues'', in 1966, and her second novel ''Rose'' in 1968, both with

Harcourt, Brace & World Harcourt () was an American publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for adults and children. The company was last based in San Diego, California, with editorial/sales/marketing/rights offices in New York City an ...

. In 1967, 1968, and 1969, Hoff received

Yaddo Yaddo is an artists' community located on a estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment.". On March ...

artist residency grants. In 1967, 1969, and 1970–1971, she had grants to participate in the artist residency program at the

Helene Wurlitzer Foundation Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New Mexico is an artist residency program in the artists' colony of Taos, New Mexico. The Foundation, which offers prize fellowships to painters, poets, sculptors, writers, playwrights, composers, photographers and ...

. From 1972 through 1978, she wrote and performed songs with feminist and lesbian themes. Hoff taught classes on women's studies and women's literature at

Portland State University Portland State University (PSU) is a public research university in Portland, Oregon. It was founded in 1946 as a post-secondary educational institution for World War II veterans. It evolved into a four-year college over the following two decades ...

from 1973 to 1974. Subsequently she taught for the

University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...

in the women's studies department. She was hired as a temporary part-time "instructor in women studies" in 1982. Hoff co-founded the publishing company Godiva Publishing and produced some of her own books, including the co-authored book ''What Lesbians Do'' in 1975 and a collection of her songs titled ''Dyke Music'' in 1977 that she also illustrated. Godiva Publishing was an effort with co-author Barbara McFadyen. While promoting their 1980 book, ''Bring Out Your Own Book: Low Cost Self-Publishing'', Hoff led self-publishing workshops at women's studies departments and feminist centers throughout the country. In 1991, Hoff published the novel ''Free Ride'' with

Firebrand Books Firebrand Books is a publishing house established in 1984 by Nancy K. Bereano---a lesbian/feminist activist in Ithaca, NY. Karen Oosterhouse, publisher since 2003, describes Firebrand as "the independent publisher of record for feminist and les ...

. Hoff currently lives in

Taos, New Mexico Taos is a town in Taos County in the north-central region of New Mexico in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Initially founded in 1615, it was intermittently occupied until its formal establishment in 1795 by Nuevo México Governor Fernando Cha ...

, as a freelance writer. She often contributes to local papers with her expertise in letters to the editor and editorials.

Activism

Hoff has been active in social issues, including civil rights, anti-Vietnam war, environmental, peace, and anti-nuclear movements. A major part of her activist work surrounds nuclear power and

depleted uranium Depleted uranium (DU; also referred to in the past as Q-metal, depletalloy or D-38) is uranium with a lower content of the fissile isotope than natural uranium.: "Depleted uranium possesses only 60% of the radioactivity of natural uranium, hav ...

(DU). She has been an outspoken opponent of the

Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, ...

(LANL) in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and the Regional Coalition of LANL Communities. Hoff was involved in state senate and house bills related to DU. In 2008, she and Jeanne Green created papier-mâché heads of

Amy Goodman Amy Goodman (born April 13, 1957) is an American broadcast journalist, syndicated columnist, investigative reporter, and author. Her investigative journalism career includes coverage of the East Timor independence movement, Morocco's occupation ...

Rosa Parks Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an American activist in the civil rights movement best known for her pivotal role in the Montgomery bus boycott. The United States Congress has honored her as "the ...

Winona LaDuke Winona LaDuke (born August 18, 1959) is an American economist, environmentalist, writer and industrial hemp grower, known for her work on tribal land claims and preservation, as well as sustainable development. In 1996 and 2000, she ran for Vice ...

, and

Sadako Sasaki was a Japanese girl who became a victim of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. She was two years of age when the bombs were dropped and was severely irradiated. She survived for another ten years, becoming one ...

for a protest parade in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, during the

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

. She regularly led programs for Cultural Energy including "LANL Resolution Forum" in January 2018 and "Fracking Jemez" in October 2016. Hoff has been honored by Love-in-Action Taos in their

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

parade float, called "Unsung heroes procession: activists, whistleblowers and muckrackers."

Published works

*''Dink's Blues'' (1966),

*''Rose'' (1968),

*''What Lesbians Do'' (1975), as Marilyn Gayle, co-authored with Barbary Katherine, Godiva Publishing *''Dyke Music'' (1977), Godiva Publishing *''Bring out your own book: low cost self-publishing'' (1980), co-authored by Barbara McFadyen, Godiva Publishing *''Free Ride'' (1991), as Marilyn Gayle,

, Reviews of ''Free Ride'' * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoff, Marilyn Gayle 1942 births Living people People from Iowa Falls, Iowa University of New Mexico faculty Portland State University faculty Syracuse University alumni Women's studies academics People from Taos, New Mexico American educators American activists 20th-century American women writers